How to Eliminate or Prevent Foot Odor: Home Remedies

Foot odor can be very embarrassing! The minute one takes off the shoes, a strong stench spreads throughout the room. It becomes worse during the summers. Some feel so conscious that they never take off their shoes when somebody is present in the room. If you are one among them, here are some home remedied that you can try and get rid of foot odor.

Home Remedies to Get Rid of Smelly Feet:

Bleach:

Ingredients you need:

½ a cup of household bleach

A small tub with hot water

How to apply on feet:

Add the bleach to the tub with hot water and m ix well.

Soak your feet in it for 10 to 12 minutes.

You may do this twice a day. Bleach has the power to kill bacteria and fungi present on your feet and get rid of foot odor. Bleach can cause irritation or inflammation of the skin. So, if you experience it, remove your feet from it and wash properly with water.

Coconut oil:

Ingredients you need:

1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut oil

5 drops of cedar wood essential oil

How to apply on feet:

Wash your feet well and pat them dry.

Mix coconut oil and cedar wood oil and apply them on your feet. Massage well so that your skin absorbs the oil.

Leave it on your feet and let the oil air dry.

You can apply it every day till the foot odor is completely removed. Lauric acid present in coconut oil helps in killing the bacteria growing on your feet. Cedar wood oil has antifungal properties. Mixing these two oils is an effective remedy for removing foot odor.

Essential oils:

Ingredients you need:

8 to 10 drops of any essential oil like eucalyptus, lavender or tea tree oil

Half a bucket warm water

How to apply on feet:

Mix the essential oil with the warm water and soak your feet in to it for about 20 minutes.

Now take out your feet from the water and pat them dry. You may also mix two or three essential oils instead of using only one essential oil.

Repeat it twice a day for a few days. Essential oils have antiseptic, anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties, which can destroy the bacteria responsible for causing the odor. The fragrance of these oils will stay on your feet and cover the bad odor till it is completely removed. These oils also sooth your skin, mind and body.

Epsom salt:

Ingredients you need:

½ a cup of Epsom salt

A small basin with hot water

How to apply on feet:

Add the Epsom salt to water in the basin and stir well to dissolve it.

Soak your feet in it for 20 to 30 minutes.

You can do this twice a day for two or three days. Epsom salt contains magnesium in it, which absorbs the excess moisture from the skin and destroys the bacteria causing bad smell. The anti-inflammatory property of this salt is effective for soothing aching feet and to make your skin soft.

Lemon juice:

Ingredients you need:

½ to 1 cup lemon juice

A small tub of hot water

How to apply on feet:

Take the tub with hot water and add the juice of lemon to it.

Soak your feet in it for 15 minutes and then wash with plain water.

You can do this twice a day, and this will help in getting rid of foot odor. Lemon juice contains citric acid, which can kill the bacteria and get rid of foot odor. The astringent properties of lemon help in shrinking the pores of the skin and prevent excess sweating.

Salt water

Ingredients you need:

!/2 to 1 cup of salt

a small tub or a large bowl

8 cups of hot water

How to apply on feet:

Take the hot water in the tub and add salt to it. Stir and dissolve the salt.

Soak your feet in it for 20 minutes.

You can do this twice daily for a few days. Salt can absorb the extra moisture present on your feet and reduce bacterial growth, which is responsible for causing bad odor on your feet.

Sodium bicarbonate:

Ingredients you need:

1 ½ to2 tablespoons of sodium bicarbonate

7 to 8 cups of water

A small tub

How to apply on feet:

Take hot water in the tub and dissolve sodium bicarbonate in it.

Soak your feet in it for about 15 minutes.

Repeat it twice a day. The antibacterial properties of sodium bicarbonate make your feet soft and remove the foul smell from your feet.

Tea foot soak:

Ingredients you need:

4 to 5 tea bags

Hot water

A small tub

How to apply on feet:

Pour hot water to about two thirds of the tub and dip the tea bags in it.

Steep for a few minutes and then remove the tea bags.

Soak your feet in this water for 10 to 15 minutes.

You can repeat it twice a day. Tannins present in black tea have antioxidant and antibacterial properties and this helps in removing bad odor from your feet.

Vodka:

Ingredients you need:

Vodka

Washcloth

How to apply on feet:

Soak the washcloth in vodka and wipe your feet well with this cloth.

Repeat it as required. Vodka contains alcohol, which can destroy the bacteria present on your feet. This way it helps in preventing foot odor.

How to Prevent Foot Odor and Sweat:

Proper hygiene is very important for getting rid of foot odor. Here are some tips to help you prevent foot odor.

After removing the socks, wash and dry your feet.

Exfoliate your feet regularly.

Use only breathable cotton socks, which can absorb the moisture on your feet.